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Three Dangerous Types of Truck Accidents

Every truck accident in Orange County is dangerous because commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, significantly outweighing passenger cars with an average weight of around 5,000 pounds. However, there are certain kinds of truck crashes that are especially high-risk and that may be more likely to occur than other crash types. Truckers need to be aware of the common types of truck accidents so they can drive more carefully to avoid endangering motorists.

Common and Dangerous Types of Truck Accidents

Recently, ABC News reported that a big rig collided with a sedan on a highway in California and the big rig rolled over. Major injuries were sustained in the crash.

Rollover accidents like this one are very common, as rollovers are one of the leading cause of fatal and serious truck crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a paper warning that rollover crashes involving large trucks were disproportionately likely to be deadly accidents. Of the truck crashes involved in the study, 18 percent involved a vehicle rolling over. However, 35 percent of the deadly accidents involved a vehicle rolling over.

Trucks are more likely than other kinds of cars on the road to roll over due to the fact trucks are top heavy and have a high center of gravity. If the truck’s load is unbalanced, this exacerbates rollover risks. Drivers are also more likely to roll over when traveling on a curved path and when they either go too fast around the curve or hit the brakes suddenly around the curve.